Story by Justin Brouillard | Photos by Tanner & Travis Lyons
It’s Day Two at Stop #5 of the 2025 NPFL season in Massena, New York, and the smallmouth have come to play. Hosted by the Town of Massena, Day One featured giant bags of fish, with almost half the field weighing in 20-pound limits. Cracking the top ten required 23-7. Daily takeoffs begin at 7:00 AM, with weigh-ins kicking off at 3:00 PM from the Massena Boat Launch. Live coverage streams today and Friday from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM EST.
Hank Cherry sits in 48th place with 20-0 on Day One, currently outside of check range. Hunter Sales is in 10th with 23-7. Robert Wroblewski currently holds the big bass with his 6-7 smallmouth.
It seems many of the top anglers made significant runs, with both leader Drew Cook and Patrick Walters catching fish from near the lake all the way up through the river system, closer to takeoff. The big fish are in Clayton and on Lake Ontario, and with the weather conditions similar on Day Two, expect a repeat of 25-plus-pound bags, though only the top two cracked that mark. Much of the top ten had over 24 pounds, and things should either maintain or get better for many anglers on Day Two.
With Drew Cook (27-2), Patrick Walters (27-0), and Kyle Welcher (24-13) rounding out the top three, the Angler of the Year race is tightening up.
Progressive AOY Update
Coming into New York, 2024 AOY winner Kyle Welcher held a tight 5-point lead over Greg Hackney and Patrick Walters, with Brandon Cobb and Gerald Swindle trailing more than 30 points behind. Drew Cook entered the event in 8th place, almost 70 points back. With Welcher currently in 3rd place and Walters in 2nd, that gap has only narrowed by one point. Cook, currently leading, has gained slightly on his 70-point deficit. Greg Hackney, who began in 2nd place, is now in 13th, losing ground to Welcher, Walters, and Cook.
When the dust settles, it appears Welcher and Walters are now unofficially in first and second, with Hackney moving to third. Cook may have jumped several places in the overall AOY standings but has not yet closed the gap on the leaders.
Top Ten After Day One:
Drew Cook 27-2
Patrick Walters 27-0
Kyle Welcher 24-13
Andrew Ready 24-8
Andrew Upshaw 24-8
Jesse Wise 24-4
Cole Harris 24-0
Justin Adkins 23-13
Shane Lehew 23-12
Jason Christie 23-7
Weather Watch
A cool start to the morning in the North means anglers are launching in mid-60s temps with light south winds around 5 MPH. Conditions will warm to a high near 80 this afternoon, with light and variable winds throughout the day—ideal for those making long runs to Lake Ontario.
How to Watch
Tune in daily to watch the action from Massena, New York and the beautiful St. Lawrence River. Catch the daily LIVE Leaderboard, LIVE Blog, and on-the-water photo galleries and blogs of the anglers from upstate New York
Catch the LIVE Coverage with Luke Dunkin and FatCat at TNPFL.com on days two and three.
Under the Go Live Tab, choose LIVE Broadcast or check out the real-time leaderboard on the Fishing Chaos Catch Track with estimated weights entered by the anglers on the water and join us for the LIVE Weigh-ins, here!
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